Tag Archives: centre

Rebuilding the centre ground

We are Centre Think Tank, a non-profit foundation and the UK’s leading centrist, cross-party think tank.

Our model of centrism looks primarily to the Nordic countries, which have successfully combined high-quality public services with strong economies. We support pragmatic, evidence-based policies that encourage moderate, balanced, and constructive changes to improve and reform existing systems. We are also one of the most transparent UK think tanks, releasing all of our funding sources and expenditure.

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The Tories’ populist agenda seeks to silence the voices of reason

The Conservative Party conference has opened the floodgates to a torrent of populist policies aimed firmly at what Theresa May calls ‘ordinary working-class people’. The NHS is to become self-sufficient in British doctors. British firms will come under increasing pressure to hire British workers. Our military will ‘opt out’ of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The hard-working people of Britain, says Theresa May, will no longer be ignored by ‘the powerful and the privileged’. And she rails against those who see their patriotism as ‘distasteful’ and call their fears about immigration ‘parochial’.

The message is clear: If you’re working hard to make ends meet, the Tories are the party for you.

I have to admit that it’s a clever strategy. This pro-British, anti-foreigner approach appeals to the many people who feel that previous governments have left them behind, while also being a sort of political catnip to Tory stalwarts. And it cleverly taps into the popular sentiment underlying the Brexit vote, without needing to refer explicitly to the shambles that is the Government’s Brexit policy.

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Brown rediscovers his middle class roots

Last weekend, the Fabian Society held their New Year conference, entitled ‘Causes to fight for’. I was fortunate to attend the conference on behalf of Liberal Democrat Voice, at the invitation of the Fabians. Over the next week, I will share with readers of LDV some of my thoughts and observations from the day. Today: the keynote speech from Gordon Brown.

Just over 30 months ago, Tony Blair made an over-emotional and stage-managed resignation speech. But as Brown’s long march to his inevitable anointment as party leader began, behind the scenes at Labour HQ a more rapid changeover took place, …

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Recent Comments

  • Jamie Dobson
    Distinctive food for contemplating - and acting upon!...
  • PM
    @ Russell, So you are saying the Windrush and other Caribbean migrants, most migrants from counties like Nigeria, India etc have been a drain on the economy....
  • Graham Jeffs
    @Tristan Ward Your argument is perfectly sound. We don't have to move to the right - many who have voted Conservative over the past decades have done so ...
  • Denis Mollison
    I was at the announcement (in Wadebridge I think) of the result in April 1966 when John Pardoe won it back from the Conservatives! Good to see this repeated at ...
  • Mick Taylor
    The really shocking thing about the mid-term elections is that less than half of those able to vote did so. This whole blue tsunami happened on a turnout of jus...